Licensed Practical Nursing

Name of Assignment: LPVN 115: Career Path Research Paper
Course Outcomes being met: 1, 5, 6
1. Apply general principles of leadership and management skills in the provision of nursing care.
2. Function as the patient’s advocate to improve health care delivery and patient outcomes.
3. Model effective use of organizational, time management, and delegation skills in order to meet the health care needs of patients.
4. Apply quality improvement processes to effectively implement patient safety initiatives and monitor performance measures.
5. Articulate the process of obtaining and maintaining licensure as a practical nurse.
6. Utilize job-seeking skills in a professional manner to gain employment.

Nursing Program Student Learning Outcomes being met: 5
1. Provide safe, relationship-centered nursing care contributing to the nursing process, which has a foundation of critical thinking and evidence-based practices.
2. Function as a member of the interdisciplinary health care team using legal and ethical principles.
3. Utilize effective communication methods which manage information, prevent errors, and support decision-making necessary for the provision of continuous patient care and quality improvement.
4. Utilize leadership skills in various settings as a collaborator of care.
5. Implement professional and personal behaviors that exhibit spirit of inquiry, self-determination, dignity, uniqueness of others, caring and respect resulting in effective relationship-centered care.
Institutional Outcomes:
1. Information Literacy and Communication – Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.
2. Relational Learning – Transfer knowledge, skills and behaviors acquired through formal and informal learning and life experiences to new situations.
3. Thinking Abilities – Employ strategies for reflection on learning and practice in order to adjust learning processes for continual improvement.
4. Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning – Follow established methods of inquiry and mathematical reasoning to form conclusions and make decisions.
5. Community and Career – Participate in social, academic, and professional communities for individual growth and to function as a citizen of a multicultural world.

Purpose of the Assignment: The purpose of this authentic assignment is to compose a written professional narrative as instructed that demonstrates your ability to do nursing/healthcare research and analysis; and discuss your current career plan now, at year one and year five to be the foundation of your Portfolio Presentation and for your use in the job interview process.
Description of the Assignment:
Compose a research-based paper that addresses key Career goals.
Begin your research paper with an opening paragraph that clearly expresses what the essay is about in a manner that engages the reader with original, personal, and creative elements. Set the tone of the paper by engaging the reader with original, personal, and creative elements.
Section 1 – 20 pts.
Provide an overview of nursing, new graduate information, professional organizations, and professional networking.
• Discuss the general nature of:
o Overview of nursing – job description, responsibilities etc.
o Educational programs – Entry level nurse positions. Different programs for nursing. Current and future status of nursing (issues & concerns related to the profession) particularly regarding our country’s health care challenges and comment on a few of the most important natural or acquired attributes needed to be a successful nurse today.
• Provide current employment information:
o The nursing graduate salary – openings available to new graduates, internships, orientation, and mentoring opportunities).
• Research and discuss two nursing organizations you would consider joining and explain why.
o Purpose of each nursing organization and what the organization provides for its member.
o Specifically address why a professional organization related to the area of nursing in which you are interested in working can help you grow as a nurse and support your career development.
o How will you as a new graduate actively participate in these organizations?
o Define networking and discuss what a professional network is in relation to nursing. What are the benefits and opportunities associated with developing a network related to your specific career path in nursing?

Section 2 – 20 pts.

Summarize your current marketability, based on a personal/professional self-appraisal.
• Discuss two (hard) skills you need to gain or improve upon and thoroughly delineate the steps that you will take to gain what you need to achieve a satisfactory result. Be sure to include any barriers that you can envision to your success and how you might overcome these barriers.
• Discuss two “soft skills” that you possess that will help you practice as a nurse.
• Discuss at least two personal strengths and two “areas for improvement that will enhance your success and will be important to possess once employed as a graduate nurse. Take time with this and be positive yet honest about your strengths and “opportunities for improvement”. Explain how you have utilized your strengths in nursing school (from life-long learning, other careers/degrees, personal life challenges, etc.), then comment on if nursing school has further developed these strengths and finally summarize how they will benefit you as a new graduate in your first nursing position. In evaluating your “opportunities for improvement” discuss several methods or interpersonal strategies that you are currently using and/or will use as a new graduate to grow and begin a process for improvement (study more on the topic, interact and learn from an experienced nurse, keep a professional diary and reflect on ways “I could have done that better”, etc.).
• Define lifelong learning and discuss your understanding of informal and formal learning. Include examples, reasons, and other evidence from classroom learning and life experiences to illustrate how informal and formal learning have shaped you as a person, and have contributed to your success in nursing school and your future success as a nurse.

Section 3 – 30 pts
Research the Ohio Board of Nursing at www.nursing.ohio.gov and discuss the following:
• What is the mission of the Ohio Board of Nursing?
• What are the legally authorized primary functions of the Board?
• Review the Ohio Nurse Practice Act and discuss its importance in defining and maintaining safe nursing practice in this state.
• Analyze and briefly comment on why all nurses must read and understand their state’s nurse practice act.

Identify target employer. Determine your vision for where you want to be as a nursing professional after one year and after five years.
• Identify potential employer:
a. Target employer—an employer who provides employment opportunities like your own immediate employment goals.
b. Research the organization’s president and CEO, location(s), mission statement, organizational culture (e.g., large, small, customer-service-oriented, employee-supportive, etc.), history, service line, reputation, competition, relationship and support of nursing, trends (growing or declining), and future plan for health care delivery services.
c. Discuss why you believe this employer is your best choice for you. Give reasons to support this choice. Include what the facility can offer you as a new graduate (full orientation program, nurse residency program, will hire new graduates in specialty areas without experience, offer great benefits-tuition reimbursement, etc.). Also include other discriminating personal/professional “details” as to why you have made this employer selection (facility has high ratings nationwide in the specialty you want, facility is a close drive to work, facility has achieved Magnet Status, facility employs Advanced Practice Nurses, facility is active in research, facility has major trauma center, etc.).
d. If you have been offered a position or at least an interview through your Internship Experience, then explain how this transpired and relate the steps you will take to compete for this position if it is going to be one of your employer targets.
e. Describe the strategies and tactics you will use to conduct an effective job search, including interviewing techniques and how you will highlight yourself from other applicants. Write two interview questions you will ask a potential employer at the time of your interview that demonstrates your interest in their organization.
f. Discuss any professional development the employer requires to obtain the position you are considering (one year experience on a medical/surgical floor, certification(s), plans to return for degree, etc).

Section 4 – 30 pts.

Determine your vision for where you want to be as a nursing professional in one year and then in five years.
• Identify and develop two goals for year one (for example: return to school for my RN)
o 3 objectives to help reach these goals
o Resources
o Target completion dates

• Identify and develop two goals you hope to achieve in five years (for example: enroll in a registered nursing program or become certified in a specialty you want to develop a career in).
o 3 objectives to help reach these goals
o Resources
o Target completion dates

Research your target career goal – ex. Correctional nurse, nurse practitioner, midwife, etc…
• Job description, education path, why did you choose this career goal?

Target school for reaching goal
• Type of program, length of program, curriculum, your benefits for attending this program, cost of program?

You must also include a Reflection Paragraph that identifies a Licensed Practical Nursing Program Student Learning Outcome that you achieved through this authentic assignment and how it relates to your professional nursing practice.

Proper use of APA format: Appropriate use and format of direct quotes and paraphrasing/summarizing of new knowledge must follow APA requirements. Be sure to give credit to the original author each time the source is used.
• Times New Roman: 12-14 point font size, margins, double-spaced
• Pagination, running head
• Title page, reference page
• Subject headings
• Spelling, punctuation
• Sentence structure, syntax
• Proofreading and editing
• Reference page
• Evidence of appropriate use of scholarly sources (minimum of 10 references)

Please note grading rubric with point allocation for this authentic assessment.

Possible Points: 100 points

Due Date: The Career Path Research Paper is to be submitted to the instructor no later than the beginning of class on the date indicated on the Tracking Calendar for LPVN 115.

Late Policy: Late assignments will only be accepted if the criteria described in the LPVN 115 Supplemental Syllabus has been met and the required documentation provided.